The Port of Hamura, located in the distant eastern expanse of the Underworld, lay adjacent to the boundless dark energies of the Sea of Oblivion.
“My lord, is this your estate?”
Wide-eyed, Huey stared in sheer astonishment. The magnificent, sprawling ancient castle boasted a footprint easily a fraction larger than his previous home, and every visible building material was of premium grade. Even the iron perimeter fencing was forged from black magic stone, entwined with countless blood-red roses that bloomed in wild, unbridled splendor.
“Of course! This is merely the most unassuming among our lord’s numerous estates, fit to serve as nothing more than a temporary residence.”
Standing by the wide-open iron gates was a blue-haired demon attired in a sleek black swallow-tailed coat. His features were quite refined bordering on overly delicate compared to the vast majority of demons. A single rose was pinned to his lapel, and even his white gloves were embroidered with tiny, intricate rose motifs.
“Welcome to the Rose Estate. I am our lord’s personal assistant and butler. You may call me Frank.”
Bowing slightly, Frank conjured a white rose from behind his back matching the exact color of Huey’s tail and offered it to him.
Instinctively accepting the bloom, Huey looked at Frank with a sense of wonder. “You are the first demon I’ve ever encountered willing to serve as a butler to another demon.”
Most demons in the Underworld were fiercely proud. While adherence to the law of the jungle meant they might submit to a demon stronger than themselves, inducing them to become someone else’s servant remained an absolute impossibility.
A demon would rather die in battle than lower himself to servitude under another.
Radiating an air of supreme pride and vanity, Frank praised his master with exaggerated flair: “Naturally! That is entirely because our lord is the most flawless existence in all creation he is well worth every single one of us dedicating our lives to him!”
Huey nodded in complete agreement. “Lord Xavier is truly a wonderful, wonderful demon!”
Seeing how the two of them were hitting it off so swimmingly that they looked on the verge of shaking hands enthusiastically and gazing deeply into each other’s eyes next, Xavier wore a darkening expression as he offered a dry cough. “Frank, I did not summon you here.”
“My lord,” Frank argued with righteous confidence. “Only by coming here in person can I provide you and…”
His gaze darting sideways to sweep over Huey, he flashed a textbook smile. “…and this lovely little succubus with the finest possible service.”
Naturally, Frank was well aware that attempting to use such a flimsy excuse would likely result in him being kicked straight back to Heaven in the next second, so he swiftly resorted to direct telepathic transmission to convey his true purpose for the journey.
“My lord, the human realm lies interposed between Heaven and the Underworld, and the barrier separating them is exceptionally thick. Without traveling to the Underworld in person to conduct scans, I wouldn’t be able to track down the evil spirits’ specific movements in a timely manner.”
Such a rationalization was split at best seven parts truth, three parts fabrication.
“My lord, your butler seems exceptionally dedicated,” Huey remarked. Though he could sense that Xavier wasn’t particularly thrilled by the butler’s presence, the young succubus felt genuinely inclined to chat more with him.
After all, having served as Xavier’s butler for so many years, he was bound to know countless secrets regarding the man!
Snuggling up to the tall man, the little succubus tilted his head to rest softly against Xavier’s shoulder, cooing sweetly, “You really are such a charismatic demon to command such profound devotion from another.”
With Huey deploying a clever indirect plea on Frank’s behalf, Xavier could only sigh in mild resignation. “If you encounter anything unsatisfactory with your accommodations, feel free to consult Frank. Should you desire anything, he can procure it as well.”
Lowering his gaze, Xavier figured that since he ultimately intended to spirit this little succubus away to Heaven anyway, meetings with Frank were inevitable; encountering him sooner rather than later made little difference.
A devastating femme fatale reigning over a kingdom!
Frank screamed internally, having narrowly skirted being shipped back to Heaven.
Wait… Pausing abruptly, the angel renowned across Heaven for his peerless erudition instinctively began pondering an exceptionally grave theological question.
Did church doctrine explicitly state… that angels were forbidden from pairing up with succubi?
Leaving the conflicted Frank behind, Xavier took Huey’s hand and led him deeper into the estate.
“The environment here is quite pleasant; you’ll be able to stream your broadcasts here with ease,” Xavier remarked as they strolled past a vibrant expanse of blooming roses, deftly plucking a fully unfurled blood-red blossom.
“Red roses suit you far better.” The Grand Archangel casually swapped the white rose in the little succubus’s hand with the crimson bloom, tossing the discarded white flower away into the flower bed.
“I can really stream here?” Huey was utterly enchanted by the sea of blossoms; the rich ambiance allowed a succubus’s natural resonance to expand, doubling the efficacy of any live-stream broadcast.
“Of course,” Xavier curved his lips into a warm smile. “You may treat this place precisely as your own home. No one will ever restrict your actions.”
Walking closely behind them, Frank rolled his eyes in secret, thinking to himself that his master hadn’t even shown a fraction of this gentleness toward newly birthed angels in Heaven. No restrictions on actions, indeed if a little angel so much as cracked a statue, they’d be sentenced to hours of corner-standing.
Upon entering the castle, the warm, bright illumination made Huey feel slightly ill at ease. “Um… won’t you feel somewhat uncomfortable in an environment lit up quite this brightly?”
At those words, both Xavier and Frank froze. They had completely overlooked the fact that Underworld demons naturally despised glaring light and refrained from installing an abundance of brilliant white fixtures indoors. For low-tier demons, such intensity could even inflict tangible physical harm.
“Pardon me, did it cause you discomfort?” Snapping back to reality instantly, Xavier flicked his wrist; the interior instantly dimmed, leaving behind only the soft, flickering amber glow of a few scattered candles.
“I am too powerful to be threatened by light anymore.”
Offering an apologetic smile, Xavier reached out to steady Huey, asking gently, “Shall I supply you with pure energy so you can feel more at ease?”
Huey shook his head. “We succubi aren’t bothered by light elements; I was simply worried about you…”
As a qualified partner, one must constantly remember to display concern for their beloved!
A low, resonant rumble of laughter vibrated within Xavier’s chest, echoing outward in a pleasant chest resonance.
“Huey is truly such a considerate little succubus.” A warm hand reached out immediately, rewarding him with a gentle stroke across his hair.
“Let’s go.” Sporting a gentle, affectionate smile, Xavier gazed down at Huey with fathomless tenderness. “I’ll show you to your room.”
“The first floor houses quarters for the staff; you may choose either the second or third floor for your bedroom.”
“Ah? We aren’t staying together?” Huey blurted out instinctively. The moment the words cleared his lips, he caught himself, clapping a hand over his mouth as his long eyelashes fluttered in sheer panic.
“N—no, I didn’t mean anything like that…”
How completely lacking in restraint! Huey silently berated himself. The lord hasn’t accepted my confession yet, nor has he offered one of his own how could I possibly let my mind wander to sleeping in the same room with him?!
Having never experienced romance, the Grand Archangel remained entirely oblivious to such complex internal subtext, simply attributing the reaction to the young demon’s slight nervousness upon arriving at an unfamiliar residence.
“In that case.” Guiding him up to the third floor, Xavier pushed open a door for him. “You may stay in this chamber. My room is right next door, so feel free to come find me should any issues arise.”
At that juncture, the usually composed and gentle Xavier could not resist offering a mischievous, playful wink. “Should you happen to suffer from nightmares, you are more than welcome to seek me out; I should be quite delighted to chase away any terrors for you.”
“Thank you, my lord!” Blushing furiously from the teasing remark delivered by a normally reserved Xavier, Huey shoved him gently out of the room, using both hands to haul the heavy door shut until it clicked closed. All that remained visible through a narrow crack was a flushed, round little face as he squeaked softly:
“You must be tired too, my lord! You should head back to your room and rest!”
Clack
The heavy door latched shut before his eyes. Left standing in the corridor outside, Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose with an amused, helpless smile his straight nose had nearly collided directly with the solid wood.
“My lord.”
Spinning around, Xavier found Frank standing there holding the magic crystal, wearing an expression of supreme solemnity.
“To the study.”
Noticing the fast-blinking red indicator light flashing across the crystal surface, Xavier’s good mood evaporated in an instant, his expression darkening as a palpable wave of killing intent flooded the hallway.
Inside the bedroom, completely unaware of Xavier’s abrupt departure, Huey flung himself facedown across the expansive, plush mattress, burying his entire face deep within the soft, heavy duvet.
“Aaaah how could the lord be so teasing?!” The little succubus rolled back and forth across the bed, his tail tracing various elaborate loops through the air to vent his fluttering excitement.
At long last, a flushed, breathless Huey propped himself up on his elbows, his wild raven locks standing up in frizzy static while he continued clutching a corner of the blanket against the lower half of his face.
“So… I’ve officially moved into the lord’s residence now?” Huey inhaled the faint, clean fragrance lingering on the bedding, his mind spinning in a daze.
The empty room offered no response, abruptly stirring an undercurrent of nervous anxiety within the young succubus’s chest.
Forgive the poor little succubus; this was, after all, his very first venture into the realm of romance.
Huey fancied that two tiny versions of himself had materialized beside his ears, sporting identical faces and treating his head like a negotiation table as they engaged in a ferocious debate.
“What kind of succubus moves in with someone else without any official status?” The left-hand mini-succubus puffed out his cheeks angrily, practically wishing he could use his tail as a whip to lash his counterpart.
“But the lord invited us proactively, telling us we could treat this place as our own home! He even invited us to visit him at night sharing a bed isn’t entirely out of the question, you know.”
The right-hand mini-succubus rested his chin in his hand, eyes sparkling with pure adoration. “This clearly proves the lord holds feelings for us too.”
“Even so,” the left-hand disputant argued sternly, “the lord hasn’t confessed his love yet. Shouldn’t we be a bit more restrained?”
That single declaration was instantly met with a fierce, resounding challenge.
“Are succubi creatures who need restraint?!”
Indeed. Huey’s mind cleared in an instant. Were succubi creatures who required restraint? Absolutely not!
Today, he, Huey, resided in the room directly adjacent to the lord. Tomorrow, he, Huey, could easily move straight into the lord’s bed!
Every shadow of doubt plaguing the little succubus vanished into thin air. Biting his lip, Huey clenched his fist with grim determination.
Splendid! Over these next three months, I, Huey, am determined to capture Xavier!
Sworn upon the honor of the succubus race!
As it turned out, however, the little succubus’s romantic campaign encountered a stubborn obstacle less than a few hours after its launch.
That very evening, right as Huey was reveling in Xavier’s attentive service as the man delicately plated food for him, Frank arrived bearing an aromatic, seductively scented calling card and delivered it with a complete lack of situational awareness.
“My lord, a succubus by the name of Lances has submitted a visiting card, expressing a desire to offer his greetings to you.”